Play ball! It’s almost time for the fall classic, the World Series. Yet, there’s plenty of baseball left to play, as the MLB Playoffs are about to start. Get the info on who’s in, how to watch and more!
Everyone, sing along! “Take me out to the ball game, take me out to the crowd!” October is here and that means three things: the weather starts turning cold; everything is flavored pumpkin; and it’s time for postseason baseball! The 2018 MLB Playoffs are about to be in full swing – pun intended – and because this year hasn’t been wild enough, the Boston Red Sox and the Milwaukee Brewers are the number one seeds. There was a time (not that long ago) when neither of these teams would have ever been considered contenders for the World Series, but here we are.
The Playoffs begin on Oct. 2 with the Wild Card Round. Just to prove how close the playoffs are this year, the Chicago Cubs are only in the Wildcard Round because they lost a playoff game with the Brewers. One game, one win, separates the No. 1 seed and the No. 4. The Cubs take on the Colorado Rockies on Oct. 2, with the winner going on to face the Brewers. Will the Cubs prevail and get revenge on the Brewers?
Meanwhile, the New York Yankees face a long path towards their 28th ring. Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton and the rest of the Bronx Bombers failed to win the AL East, falling to their dreaded rivals, the Red Sox. They’ll face the Oakland Athletics in the Wild Card round on Oct. 3, with the winner going on to face Boston.
The games will be broadcast over five different networks. ESPN will broadcast the first game between the Rockies and Cubs, while TBS will cover the Yankees/A’s game. From there, the MLB Playoffs will be broadcast on FS1, the MLB Network and TBS. The NLCS and ALCS will be divided up between TBS, FS1 and FOX proper. Each of these channels has their own streaming portal and will require some kind of television subscription. Click here for the full schedule.
Atlanta, Los Angeles, Houston and Cleveland also made the cut. With LeBron James now playing for Los Angeles, the only way that Cleveland will win a championship is if the Indians prevail (sorry not sorry Browns fans.) Cleveland takes on the defending champions, the Houston Astros, in the opening round. (Boston, New York and Houston are the only teams in the postseason to rack up 100+ wins, btw) On the other side, over at the NLCS, the Atlanta Braves take on the Los Angeles Dodgers. The last time the Braves won the World Series was in 1995, seven years after the Dodgers’ last MLB championship win.
Houston remains a favorite. Anything can happen, but at the start of the playoffs, the Red Socks, Dodgers and Astros are the heavy favorites, with many expecting the champs to repeat. “The Astros won the World Series a year ago, and are even better this time around. They are nearly flawless,” Bob Nightengale said while writing for USA Today. “They didn’t win as many games as the Red Sox, but they’re a more talented team, which will be revealed throughout the postseason. Once again.”
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